Differential gearing for motor vehicles



Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES `MTEISVI OFFICE.

CHARLES It. SHORT, OFDAYTON, OHIO, AND VICTOR HUGHES, 10F` DETROIT, MICHIGAN,

ASSIGNORS T GENERAL MOTORS RESEARCH CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHI- GAN, .A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

`DIFFERI)ITTIAIL GEARING FOR .MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed April 16, 1926. Serial No. 102,525.

ment of the rear tract-ion wheels may be permitted when the vehicle is turned. y

The Objectis to simplify the construction of the parts andthe combination, and at the saine time facilitate assembling operations relating to the differential mechanism of a light motor car.

The invention consists in the construction ofparts and their combination, as more specilically described hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fin. 1 is a horizontal section through an assemblage, embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a part constituting the differential cage, and

Fin'. 3 is a section across the inner oneof the axle shafts.

In the drawings: i

Numeral indicates tubular casingrs for the rear axle shafts 11. The inner ends of the tubular casings 10 are tightly inserted in tubular bosses 12 on differential `gear housing 13, which is formed of two similar parts, joined together by the bolts le, the meeting faces ofthe two parts of said housing lying in a vertical plane extending` at right angles to the rear axle.

Inside of the inner end of each tubular casing- 10, is anairle shaft bearing, formed, in the construction shown, of a steel backing 15 and a porous bronze bushing 16, preferably firmly secured to the hacking'. A hardened steel bushing 17 firmly secured to axle shaft 1l constitutes the journal portion of the inner end of said shaft 11 which hears in the bearinp; bushing 1G.

Keyed to the ends of shaft sections 11 are the usual bevel pinions 18 and 18a. The inner end of each shaft section 11 is reduced as at 19 and has a circumferential groove as at 20, in which is seated a washer' made of two sec* tions 21, as indicated in Fig. 3, only one half section of each washer being shown in Fig. 1. The divided washer 21 establishes the innermost position of the gear on each shaft section 11,longitudinally of said section.

The main Arear of the differential is indicated at 22. This gear may be of any known type, although it is shown as a bevel gear meshing with a pinion 24a on apropeller end of shaft 24. Gear 22 isnicely sleeved onthe hub 23a of the left hand axle shaft pinion 18, so that said gear 22 may rotate with respect to the gear 18a. y

The differential cage is a very simple ineinber of U-formation, having` flanges at.25 on the ends ofthe limbs ofthe cage and a hearing orifice 26 surrounded hy a flange 27 penetrating centrally the yoke member of the U-shaped cage. The cage is detachably bolted to the web of gear 22 by means of bolts 28. The huh of axle sl'laft gear 18 lits nicely within the hearing openingl 28 in the cage.

The U-shaped cage is penetrated by two opposite holes` 29 and 29a, the axes of which lie in the saine straight line, which intersects, substantially, the axes of the axle shaft sec* tions `11. Reinovahly secured as hy key nin 8O in the ll-shaped cage, is a removable bearing; pin 31, the ends of which are seated in the holes 29 and 29Cl and on which are `sleeved differential pinions 32 and 32a. l The hacks of these pinions are plane and take bearing respectively on plane parallel surfaces and 88d on the inner sides of the opposite linihs of said U-shaped cage. `As shown in the drawing, the parallelbearing surfaces 83 and 38 forthe pinions 32 and 32a, are separated from each other by a distance that is less than the distance between the opposite surfaces of the yoke arms between the bearing surfaces and the ends of the arms; this distance should not be greater in any case than the distance between the hearingl surfaces; because of this relation, the differential pinions 82 and 32a can be slid into inesh with axle gear 18, in a direction narallel with the anis ofthe said gear 18. i

. The extremities of the reduced portions 19 of axle sections 11, hear on opposite sides of the bearing pin 81, which thus serves for prel venting endwise movement of the sections inward.

For the purpose of preventing endwise movement of the axle shaft sections 11, outward, the hack of gear 22 engages withaJ plane thrust surface on. the gear casing 13 and a plane surface on the yoke portion of the wU-shaped differential cage surrounding the flange 27 hears upon a thrust surface on the other side of the casino; 13. In practice it may by found desirable to inserta hardened axle shaft steel bearing plate 3st between thediflerential cage an d the casing 13 and another hardened lil ` Specialthrust `bearmgsare not necessary, the i longitudinal thrust of the shafts and differential being taken in one direction by the pin B1 and in lthe other by the bearing surfaces between the casina' 13 and gear 22 on one side and between the caring surfaces on the U- shdaped cage and the casing 13 on the other s1 e.

Althou h we have described and shown one speci c embodiment of our invention, it is notintended that the 4invention shall be limited to the exact particulars described and illustrated, but only by the definitions of the ap ended claims.

at We claim is:

1. In a motor vehicle transmission, the combination `with a rear axleand diferential ihousing, of differential `gearing comprising two ahmed axle shafts, beveled vaxle gears facing `each other adapted `to be secured respectivvely to said shafts, acne piece main gear bearing onone axle gear, a Ll-shaped differential cage detachably secured .to the bearing face of said main gear and having a bearing on the other axle gear; and differential pinions carried bythe cage meshing with the axle gears.

2.` 1n a motor vehicle transmission, the combination Wit-l1 a rear axlewand a di'Herential housing, of differential gearing comprising two alinedaxle shafts, beveled axlegeaas facing each other, adapted .to be secured respectively to said shafts, a one -piece main gear hearing on one axle gear, a U-shaped .differential cage having opposite plane parallel bearing surfaces on the inner sides of the arms and the ends Aof its arms detachably secured to the tooth carrying face of said main gear and the other end of t-he cage `bearin on uthe other axle fear; and diferentia pinions carried by `t e cage meshing with the a-xle gears.

3. In a motor vehicle transmission, the combination with a rear axle and differential housing, of differential gearing comprising two alined axle shafts, beveled axle gears facing each other adapted to be secured respectively to said shafts, said axle are Vhaving hubs, a main gear mounted rotatively on the hub of one of said axle ears, a `U-shaped differential cage having t e ends of its Varms detachably secured to said main gear and having a bearing opening receiving "the hub of the other axle gear, opposite plane bearing surfaces onthe inside of the armsof the cage, differential pinions carried within the cage meshing `with the axle gears and seated against said plane bearing surfaces, and a pin extending through at least one of said arms and the plane bearing surfaces,

Asaid differential ,pinions being sleevedon said pin.

In testlniony whereof `We `affix Our-signatures.

CHARLES R. SHORT. VICTOR HUGHES. 

